Goodberlet Home Services Advises Homeowners on New Nicor Gas Rates
KANKAKEE, IL - November 13, 2026 - PRESSADVANTAGE - Goodberlet Home Services, a family-owned HVAC, plumbing, and
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KANKAKEE, IL – November 13, 2026 – PRESSADVANTAGE –
Goodberlet Home Services, a family-owned HVAC, plumbing, and electrical company, is advising northern Illinois homeowners on how new Nicor Gas rates taking effect November 16 change the makeup of winter heating bills. The guidance follows the Illinois Commerce Commission’s October 15 approval of a settlement in the utility’s 2026 rate case.
According to an October 15, 2026 news release from the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC), the commission approved a settlement striking $139.2 million from Nicor Gas’s initial $221 million request for natural gas delivery services, a reduction of roughly 63 percent. The Citizens Utility Board, a party to the case, reported the same day that the approved increase totals $81.6 million and averages about $2.21 a month for residential customers.
The settlement also lowers the fixed monthly customer charge for residential customers from $21.30 to $15.00 beginning November 16, according to the Citizens Utility Board. Nicor Gas describes that charge as the portion of a bill paid regardless of energy usage. Capitol News Illinois reported on September 10, 2026, that with a smaller fixed charge, a greater share of each customer’s bill will be determined by how much gas the household uses.
Federal and industry forecasts point to lower heating costs this season. In its Winter Fuels Outlook released October 6, 2026, the U.S. Energy Information Administration projected that Midwest households heating primarily with natural gas will spend about $613 from November through March, roughly 10 percent less than last winter, with natural gas prices about 8 percent lower. The American Gas Association’s 2026-2027 Winter Heating Outlook, published in September, projects that natural gas customers nationwide will spend 14 percent less on space heating than last year.
For homeowners, the combined effect is that the amount of gas a furnace burns now carries more weight on the monthly bill than it did under the previous rate design. Goodberlet Home Services notes that a furnace operating below its intended efficiency can use more gas to deliver the same level of comfort, and that the added usage may offset part of the relief from lower forecast prices and a smaller fixed charge. The company’s Illinois offices in Kankakee and Oakbrook Terrace are located in communities within Nicor Gas’s published service territory.
Goodberlet Home Services is focusing its fall heating visits on the conditions that most often lengthen furnace run time. The company’s annual furnace tune-up includes burner cleaning, a heat exchanger check, filter replacement, thermostat calibration, and full performance testing.
The company also suggests that homeowners compare their first statements under the new rates with bills from past winters, looking at the amount of gas used rather than the total dollar figure alone. According to Goodberlet Home Services, a rise in usage during similar weather can be an early sign that a heating system needs attention.
“Lower gas prices and a smaller fixed charge help, but they don’t fix a furnace that’s working harder than it should,” said Rick Jensen, Operations Manager at Goodberlet Home Services. “With more of the bill tied to usage, the money homeowners lose tends to come from the same places it always has, like a filter that’s overdue, a thermostat schedule nobody has revisited, or a system that hasn’t been checked in a few years. Those are the things a family can still control this winter, no matter what happens with rates.”
Goodberlet Home Services is a family-owned company founded in 1982 that provides heating, cooling, plumbing, and electrical services for residential and light commercial customers in Illinois and Indiana. The company operates from its headquarters in Kankakee, Illinois, with additional offices in Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois, and Muncie, Indiana, and offers around-the-clock emergency repair service. Goodberlet Home Services is a Lennox Premier Dealer, holds an A+ accreditation from the Better Business Bureau, and is a Weil-McLain and Peerless Boiler Certified Contractor.
More information is available at https://www.goodberletheating.com/https://www.goodberletheating.com/.
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For more information about Goodberlet Home Services, contact the company here:
Goodberlet Home Services
Rick Jensen
815-937-0189
info@goodberletheating.com
255 E Brookmont Blvd, Kankakee, IL 60901
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